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Fighting Irish outlast Georgia Tech in double overtime

Jan 4, 2015 - 6:41 AM South Bend, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Jerian Grant totaled 24 points and six assists as No. 14 Notre Dame outlasted Georgia Tech, 83-76, in double overtime on Saturday.

Steve Vasturia had 17 points and six rebounds for the Fighting Irish (14-1, 2-0 ACC), while Zach Auguste added 13, Demetrius Jackson picked up 11 and Pat Connaughton poured in 10 points and eight boards.

Marcus Georges-Hunt led the way with 20 points and eight rebounds for the Yellow Jackets (9-4, 0-1). Charles Mitchell posted 14 points and 12 boards in defeat.

"It was a heck of a college basketball game," Georgia Tech head coach Brian Gregory said. "The only disappointment is we didn't finish as well as we needed to finish in this league around the basket. You can't fault our effort; you can't fault our competitiveness. It was a heck of a game and they figured out a way to win the game."

Grant's free throw with 25 seconds left in regulation forged a 59-59 deadlock, but Georges-Hunt had his last-second layup try blocked by Auguste.

In the first extra session, a Vasturia triple gave the hosts a 67-61 edge, but the visitors fought back for another tie on a Demarco Cox tip-in with 10 seconds left. Grant and Auguste both missed relatively easy chances to send the contest into its fourth period.

Auguste's bucket early in the second OT provided a 78-71 margin for Notre Dame, but this time the Irish clamped down, aided by poor Yellow Jacket shooting.

Between Grant splitting a pair at the line with 1:18 left and Vasturia's two free throws with 42 seconds remaining, Georges-Hunt missed two shots and a three along with a Robert Sampson miss.

Georgia Tech dominated early, scoring 13 of the game's first 15 points, and it led by 27-17 until a late Notre Dame surge pulled the hosts within 31-27 at halftime.

Georges-Hunt sank two free throws and the Yellow Jackets led 43-35, then the Irish began to slowly chip away. They led for the first time in the game at 47-46 with 9:12 left on a Connaughton dunk, and were up 56-52 with 4:25 showing once Grant completed a three-point play.

"It was hard to get into a flow offensively and you've got to give credit to Georgia Tech, they really physically and athletically guarded us," Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said.

Game Notes

Notre Dame shot 8-of-14 from the field in the two overtimes, while Georgia Tech made only 7-of-19 field goals ... Chris Bolden also totaled 14 points for the Yellow Jackets ... The Irish, who have won 10 in a row since their lone loss to Providence, heads to Chapel Hill on Monday night ... Georgia Tech hosts Syracuse on Wednesday.